RAY Martin has quit the Nine network after 30 years as one of its major stars just days before he was due back on air to host a revamped Sunday.

Ray Martin, on a $1.2 million salary, has been unhappy at the restructuring and cost cutting at Nine and has been a consistently vocal critic of his employer.

His walkout is a major blow to the once mighty network which has fallen hard into second place in the ratings, and third in advertising revenue.

Martin last night said he was quitting to become a "gun for hire".

"It is not hard to jump off the edge of the carport and fly again," he said.

The so-called "Mr Australia" has worked on 60 Minutes, The Midday Show, A Current Affair, hosted Carols By Candlelight and for more than two decades and become Nine's most familiar hosuehold name.

His on air role has diminished in recent years and while it will come as a shock to viewers, there are those in Nine who will be happy to see him go.

"It's not a surprise at all," a senior source said.

"Everyone knows he has been unhappy - and he's let everyone, including the press, know how he feels."

Another closely associated with Martin's entire Nine career said he had become a "precious bloody pain in the arse" in recent years.

"He's been paid millions yet has a spent a lot of time making pronounceents about what is good and bad about his employer4," the source said.

Martin did not return calls tonight, nor did NIne CEO David Gyngell, programmer Michael Healy, Sunday co-host Ellen Fanning, his Sunday bosses or Nine news chief John Westacott.

Westacott and Martin have worked together for more than two decades but are understood to have lost respect for each other long ago.

Martin is understood to have had a row with Nine CEO David Gyngell ad Westacott over a decision to revamp Sunday with a new starting time of 7.30am.

The program - in which Ellen Fanning was to be Martin's co-host - is set to shed its ABC style of considered stories.

Sources say 20 minute or long investigative stories will be cut to a maximum of 12 minutes, staff would be cut and there was an aim to match Seven's Weekend Sunrise's more breezy style.

Sunday has been hammered by WS for the past three years.

It averaged 429,000 viewers to Sunday's 231,000 last year.

Martin announced his departure on 2GB's Phillip Clarke program last night.
"I've had the best 30 years that I could ever imagine. I have nothing else but kind words about Nine.

"I've loved it and I've loved Nine and I feel privileged to work for the Packers for all that 30 years and any suggestion that there was a blow up or that there was you know bad feelings is just not true.

Martin said he had no regrets in his career with Nine however the one interview he is still keen to secure would be David Hicks.

Nine management was last night still working on a press release which is believed to include a one-paragraph announcement of Martins departure when Martin went public with the news.

Sources last night said the network management was pleased to be rid of the tempremental star.

Daily Tele

It was coming, but it's still incredible...

In a way, 9 might be happy to get rid of him. A network personality bad-mouthing his employer and fellow employees is never good for morale. It doesn't help that he's being paid a s**tload for doing jacks**t.

I wonder what's he's going to do now? I sense 7 might try and grab him, but would they be willing to pay the same ridiculous amounts of money that 9 did?

Sour cream may not need an expiration date, but he certainly does.
I haven't seen him on the tube since the elections.

7 will most likely grab him, kudos to the post above. It's been recently a dumpster for all the rejected presenters...